REDCap Systems

UCH REDCap Environments

REDCap at UConn Health consists of two separate systems: Development and Production. Each environment serves a different purpose within the project lifecycle.

Important: Development and Production are separate REDCap environments. Projects, user rights, passwords, and account activations may differ between the two systems.

Development System

The Development system is intended for building, configuring, testing, and revising REDCap projects before active data collection begins.

REDCap Development URL
https://dev-redcap.uchc.edu/redcap

Common uses for Development projects include:

  • Building forms and surveys
  • Testing branching logic and calculations
  • Configuring survey workflows and invitations
  • Testing reports and dashboards
  • Conducting pilot testing and user review
  • Training and project setup

Development projects remain editable and flexible while study teams finalize the project design.

Best practice: Thoroughly test all project functionality in Development before requesting production status and beginning active data collection.

Production System

The Production system is intended for active, live data collection after project development and testing have been completed.

REDCap Production URL
https://uchredcap.uchc.edu/redcap

Production projects are used for:

  • Active participant enrollment
  • Real study data collection
  • Survey distribution to participants
  • Long-term project management during study operations
  • Regulatory and research data capture activities

Once a project is moved to Production:

  • Project changes become more restricted
  • Certain modifications may require administrator review and approval
  • Additional safeguards are applied to help protect study data integrity
Important: Production projects should only be used after all forms, logic, workflows, calculations, and testing have been carefully reviewed and finalized in Development.

Key Differences

Feature Development Production
Purpose Project building and testing Live study data collection
Project Changes Freely editable Restricted / reviewed
Data Type Test or pilot data Real study data
Recommended Use Design, testing, training Active research operations
Reminder: Account activation, passwords, and user access may differ between Development and Production. Access to one system does not necessarily guarantee access to the other.